Previously known as dietary fructose intolerance, fructose malabsorption is a digestive complication that can result in abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea. While experts suggest that up to one third of the general population may be affected, fructose malabsorption remains an under-recognized health challenge with few over-the-counter solutions.

Fructose absorption is limited by the availability and activity of enzymes and transporters sufficient to break down and absorb fructose. FructosAid is the U.S. brand name for xylose isomerase (XI), an enzyme that converts dietary fructose in the gut into glucose the body can readily absorb and use.

FructosAid is produced under patent by Sciotec Pharma of Austria, a division of STADA Arzneimittel, and is marketed in the U.S. by 88 Health Products under exclusive license. XI is sold in Europe under the brand name Xylosolv.

Fructose malabsorption should not be confused with hereditary fructose intolerance.

Perrigo launches store brand equivalent for Zegerid OTC

DUBLIN – Perrigo announced Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the company's ANDA for omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate capsules, 20mg/1100mg. This approval will initiate the first store brand launch of an equivalent product to Zegerid OTC capsules.

Shipments to retail customers have already commenced.

Zegerid OTC is indicated for the treatment of frequent heartburn. National brand sales for the twelve months ending June 2016 were $27 million.

Kline: Growth across ‘natural OTCs’ outpacing overall OTC growth

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – More and more consumers are in search of "natural" solutions to their ailments, including both homeopathic remedies and supplements supportive of a healthier lifestyle, Kline Market Research noted in its latest study, Natural OTCs: Impact of non-drug products on the U.S. OTC market, which was released Monday.

Driven by consumer interest in all things natural, the market for natural OTCs increased by 11.4%, Kline noted, compared with the overall OTC market that grew 4.2% in 2015. Natural nutritional products, including supplements for heart and brain health, grew at the fastest pace of over 30% in 2015. And the natural cough/cold/immunity market, the largest category, accounting for approximately 40% of the total natural OTC market, is also growing at high single digits.

“Consumers are using these products both for prevention and immune boosting properties as well as to help aid healing when they are sick,” stated Laura Mahecha, Healthcare Industry Manager for Kline Market Research. “The message of strengthening the body’s natural defenses against upper respiratory issues such as cold, cough and allergies that have been widely advertised by brands such as Emergen-C, Zarbee’s Naturals and Zicam resonates with consumers.”

The immune-boosting claims made by probiotic brands such as Culturelle, Align and Schiff Digestive Advantage also resonate with consumers, and this category’s sales increased by double digits. These products offer improved immunity via the digestive tract and are taken regularly in order to be effective. “Probiotic brands are sold at relatively high retail price points and most consumers take them daily, which deliver strong sales gains for retailers and the manufacturers of these brands,” Mahecha said.

More than half of the consumers surveyed by Kline indicated that they use natural OTCs more now than one year ago and nearly two-thirds of consumers say they use them now more than five years ago, an indication that there is a growing interest in natural OTCs.

“Natural OTCs will continue to be important to consumers and therefore are expected to grow at strong rates in the future. They will also continue [to] offer competition to traditional OTC brands over the next few years,” Mahecha added.

RELATED NEWS

Coming toward the end of the calendar year, there will be many consumers perusing purchases of over-the-counter medicines and devices in an effort to deplete their flexible spending accounts, many of which still contain a “use-it-or-lose-it” provision.

Private label just keeps chugging along.
Thanks to strong consumer demand for lower-priced alternatives to national brands and retailer desires to differentiate themselves from the competition, private label seems to keep gaining more traction in the retail world.

In a Journal of Advanced Nursing study of 90 adults with type 2 diabetes published last week, female gender, elevated blood sugar levels, neuropathic pain, and fatigue were related to sleep disturbance, even after controlling for factors such as age, diabetes duration, depressive symptoms and distress.

Ascensia Diabetes Care, based out of Basel, Switzerland, is showing its support for World Diabetes Day 2017 by publishing 30 portraits of inspiring women who are making significant contributions to advancing diabetes care.

Forgotten Password

Registration complete

REGISTER

USERNAME *

Spaces are allowed; punctuation is not allowed except for periods, hyphens, and underscores.

E-MAIL ADDRESS *

A valid e-mail address. All e-mails from the system will be sent to this address. The e-mail address is not made public and will only be used if you wish to receive a new password or wish to receive certain news or notifications by e-mail.

Password *

Confirm Password *

Please choose a password for your account; it must be 8 - 30 characters. .

First Name *

Last Name *

Company Name *

Job Title *

ZIP *

Are you a *

Retailer or Healthcare professional

Non-Retailer

How many stores do you operate?: *

Which best describes the business/industry you work in?: *

Which best describes your job title?: *

Please select the newsletters you would like to subscribe to

DSN A.M.
Daily news stories covering the retail drug industry

Breaking News
First-to-the-market with developing stories in the industry